These Terms of Use ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Retirement Shield, LLC ("Retirement Shield," "we," "us," or "our") governing your access to and use of the Retirement Shield website, newsletter, calculators, quizzes, reports, digital products, and related services (collectively, the "Services"). By accessing or using the Services, you represent that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.
If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Services.
Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years of age to use the Services. By using the Services, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement. The Services are intended primarily for residents of the United States.
Nature of the Services — Publisher Status
Retirement Shield is an educational media and information platform. We publish general-interest content on retirement planning, estate planning, income strategies, tax considerations, and related topics. We operate as a bona fide publisher under Section 202(a)(11)(D) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the precedent established in Lowe v. SEC, 472 U.S. 181 (1985), as confirmed for digital media by the Seeking Alpha ruling (D. Md. 2024).
We are NOT:
- A registered investment adviser (RIA) or broker-dealer
- A licensed insurance agent or producer (in our capacity as publisher)
- A law firm or legal services provider
- A financial planner or fiduciary adviser
Nothing in the Services constitutes a personalized recommendation, investment advice, legal advice, tax advice, or insurance advice. All content is educational and general in nature. See our Full Disclaimer for complete disclosure.
User Accounts
Certain features of the Services require you to create an account. You agree to:
- Provide accurate, current, and complete registration information
- Maintain the security of your account credentials and not share them with third parties
- Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to your account
- Accept responsibility for all activity that occurs under your account
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts at our discretion, including for violation of these Terms.
Subscriptions and Purchases
A. Subscription Products
Certain Services, including the Estate Watch subscription, are offered on a recurring subscription basis. By purchasing a subscription, you authorize us to charge the applicable fee to your payment method on the billing cycle described at checkout. Subscriptions auto-renew unless you cancel before the renewal date.
B. One-Time Purchases
Certain products, including downloadable guides, planning tools, and digital reports, are sold on a one-time basis.
C. Refund Policy
Digital products are generally non-refundable upon delivery. Subscriptions may be cancelled at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period and no partial refunds are issued for unused portions of a billing period. If you believe you have been charged in error, contact us at legal@retirementshield.com within 30 days of the charge.
D. Pricing Changes
We reserve the right to change subscription pricing at any time. We will provide at least 30 days' notice of any price increase via email, and your continued subscription after the notice period constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.
Referral and Coordination Services
Retirement Shield may facilitate introductions between users and licensed third-party professionals, including estate planning attorneys, insurance professionals, financial advisors, and other specialists (collectively, "Referred Professionals"). The following terms apply to all referral services:
- Retirement Shield is not a law firm, licensed insurance agency, or registered investment adviser in its capacity as a platform. Any professional services you receive are provided by the Referred Professional under their own license and professional obligations, not by Retirement Shield.
- Referral introductions are made solely on the basis of general planning profile matching. Introductions do not constitute a recommendation, endorsement, or guarantee of any professional's qualifications, services, or outcomes.
- Referred Professionals operate independently and are solely responsible for the advice, services, and products they provide. Retirement Shield has no agency relationship with Referred Professionals.
- Fees charged by Referred Professionals are their own and are entirely separate from any fees charged by Retirement Shield. Retirement Shield does not receive compensation contingent upon or calculated as a percentage of any legal fee, insurance premium, or assets under management.
- You are under no obligation to engage any Referred Professional, and engagement decisions are entirely your own.
Prohibited Conduct
You agree not to:
- Use the Services for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law
- Reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content on the Services without our written permission
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Services or any related systems or networks
- Use automated tools, bots, or scrapers to collect data from the Services
- Misrepresent your identity or affiliation, or impersonate any person or entity
- Transmit unsolicited communications, spam, or malicious code
- Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Services
- Use content from the Services to compete with Retirement Shield or for commercial redistribution without written authorization
Intellectual Property
All content on the Services — including articles, newsletters, reports, quiz content, calculator logic, educational guides, brand assets, and software — is owned by or licensed to Retirement Shield and protected by U.S. and international intellectual property laws. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Services for your personal, non-commercial use only.
You may not reproduce, republish, distribute, sell, or create derivative works from any content without our prior written consent. Trademark rights in "Retirement Shield" and associated logos are claimed by Retirement Shield, LLC.
Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, RETIREMENT SHIELD DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, ACCURATE, OR COMPLETE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR SUITABILITY OF ANY CONTENT FOR YOUR SPECIFIC SITUATION.
Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL RETIREMENT SHIELD, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, PARTNERS, OR SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
OUR TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICES OR THESE TERMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO RETIREMENT SHIELD IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability; in such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Retirement Shield, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or in any way connected with: (a) your use of the Services; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any third-party right; or (d) any content you submit or transmit through the Services.
Third-Party Links and Services
The Services may contain links to third-party websites, tools, or services. These links are provided for convenience only. We have no control over the content or practices of third-party sites and accept no responsibility or liability for them. Your use of any third-party service is governed by that party's terms and privacy policies.
Modifications to the Services and Terms
We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Services or any portion thereof at any time without notice. We may also update these Terms at any time. When we do, we will update the effective date above. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on our website. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services shall be resolved first by good-faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, conducted in English, with proceedings held in or near the location of our principal offices. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm.
You waive any right to participate in class action litigation or class-wide arbitration with respect to any claim governed by these Terms.
General Provisions
- Entire Agreement: These Terms and the Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Retirement Shield regarding the Services
- Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect
- Waiver: Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of our right to enforce it in the future
- Assignment: You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may freely assign our rights
Contact Information
Questions about these Terms? Contact us at:
Email: legal@retirementshield.com
Website: https://retirementshield.com